{"id":48951,"date":"2026-06-30T12:16:57","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/?p=48951"},"modified":"2026-06-30T12:16:58","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T19:16:58","slug":"in-victory-for-voters-supreme-court-rejects-trump-gop-attack-on-mailed-ballots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/2026\/06\/30\/in-victory-for-voters-supreme-court-rejects-trump-gop-attack-on-mailed-ballots\/","title":{"rendered":"In \u2018Victory for Voters,\u2019 Supreme Court Rejects Trump-GOP \u200bAttack on Mailed Ballots"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Absentee<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections on September 17, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0(Photo by Allison Joyce\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt a time when the Roberts Court has too often made it harder for Americans to exercise their rights, today\u2019s decision is an important and welcome exception.\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Corbett<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jun 29, 2026 (CommonDreams.org)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a surprise blow to President Donald Trump\u2019s intensifying assault on democracy<\/a> in the lead-up to the November midterms, the US Supreme Court<\/a> ruled<\/a> Monday that states can decide to count ballots received after Election Day as long as they were postmarked in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the high court\u2019s right-wing<\/a> supermajority has handed Trump various victories over his two terms, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett<\/a> joined the court\u2019s three liberals for the 5-4 decision, which was welcomed by advocates for Americans with disabilities, military families, the elderly, and others who choose to vote by mail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RECOMMENDED…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"US-POLITICS-CALIFORNIA-VOTE\"\/<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Judge Blocks \u2018Unconstitutional and Dangerous\u2019 Trump Order Designed to Derail Mail-In Voting<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"An<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

US Postal Service Sued for Advancing Trump\u2019s \u2018Disgraceful\u2019 Assault on Mail-In Voters<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While over half of US states allow at least some ballots received after Election Day to be counted, in Watson v. Republican National Committee<\/em>, the RNC challenged a Mississippi law that requires ballots to be postmarked on or before the date of the election and received by the registrar no more than five business days afterward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BlueSky: https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/embed\/did:plc:cmg4nrddvaevd22aba2zpigy\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mpgqvvdnyk2y?id=43853718996430036&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252Fsupreme-court-mail-in-ballots&colorMode=system<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following oral arguments<\/a> in March, the ideologically split majority found that \u201cnothing in the federal election day statutes requires ballots to be received by Election Day,\u201d with Barrett\u2014one of three justices appointed by Trump\u2014delivering the majority opinion. She stressed that \u201cwe cannot add to the words Congress chose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement cheering the decision, Danielle Lang, vice president for voting rights<\/a> and rule of law<\/a> at Campaign Legal Center, which filed an amicus brief in this case with Protect Democracy, said that \u201call voters, no matter how they cast their ballot, deserve the freedom to make their voices heard. This is a cornerstone of American democracy. And access to vote-by-mail, along with early voting and in-person voting, makes our democracy stronger by expanding access to the ballot for more voters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MIDNIGHT DEADLINE<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The only way Common Dreams\u2019 people-powered media model can survive is with the support of readers like you. Will you become a sustaining monthly donor today to keep our progressive, nonprofit journalism alive?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Robert Weiner, the Voting Rights Project director at the Lawyers\u2019 Committee for Civil Rights<\/a> Under Law\u2014which also submitted<\/a> an amicus brief in this case and is suing over<\/u><\/a> Trump\u2019s executive order on mail-in voting\u2014celebrated that the ruling \u201crejects yet another attempt to prevent eligible voters from casting their votes and having them counted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur democracy is stronger when more people, not less, can participate,\u201d declared Weiner, encouraging all US voters to \u201ccheck<\/a> the rules in your state,\u201d and anyone voting absentee \u201cto mail their ballots early and confirm they were received.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Retired Amb. Norm Eisen, co-founder and executive chair of Democracy Defenders Fund, which filed<\/a> an amicus brief on behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said that \u201cthis ruling respects state authority over election administration and prevents needless confusion for voters and election officials. At a time when the Roberts Court has too often made it harder for Americans to exercise their rights, today\u2019s decision is an important and welcome exception.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

US Marine Corps veteran and Vet Voice Foundation CEO Janessa Goldbeck called the decision \u201ca victory for every American who follows the rules, mails their ballot on time, and deserves to have their vote counted,\u201d while also highlighting that absentee voting is common among troops and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor service members stationed around the world, military spouses, veterans<\/a>, and other Americans who rely on voting by mail, this ruling recognizes a simple principle: Voters should not lose their voice because of circumstances beyond their control,\u201d Goldbeck said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, pointed out, older voters also often vote by mail. He said that \u201cfor generations, states have adopted practical election rules that reflect the realities of mail delivery, protect the right to vote, and meet the needs of their citizens. The court\u2019s decision means that voters in the 14 states that provide a grace period for regular mail ballots, and the 29 states which allow additional time for at least some mail voters, including military and overseas voters, can breathe a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur alliance members in Mississippi proudly joined this case to defend the constitutional right to vote. We have always maintained that no eligible voter who casts a ballot in a timely manner should have that vote tossed out because of circumstances they cannot control,\u201d he added. \u201cWe will continue fighting to protect every eligible voter\u2019s right to have a ballot cast in a timely manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the older voters who have recently voted by mail is 80-year-old Trump<\/a>, noted Common Cause president and CEO Virginia<\/a> Kase Solom\u00f3n\u2014who applauded the new ruling as \u201ca victory for voters and for an election system that meets the needs of the people it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, it\u2019s on Congress to pass long-overdue nationwide protections for voters,\u201d she asserted. \u201cCommon Cause will mobilize our one million members to make sure Congress hears voters loud and clear: national voting protections now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BlueSky: https:\/\/embed.bsky.app\/embed\/did:plc:7y56hbn7lt6gkqrjj65quotl\/app.bsky.feed.post\/3mpgrd5kki22d?id=48946321246389923&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.commondreams.org%252Fnews%252Fsupreme-court-mail-in-ballots&colorMode=system<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Republicans<\/a> narrowly control both chambers of Congress, and Trump continues to pressure<\/a> lawmakers to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act requiring<\/a> proof of US citizenship to register and photo ID to vote in federal elections. Given Democratic opposition to the bill and the GOP\u2019s slim Senate majority, passage would<\/a> require working around the filibuster<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic leaders on Monday joined voting rights advocates in celebrating the Supreme Court\u2019s new ruling but also emphasized that, in the words of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer<\/a> (D-NY), \u201cas the midterm elections<\/a> approach, Trump and his allies are working overtime to silence Americans\u2019 votes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSenate Democrats will continue to do everything we can to protect free and fair elections, where everyone\u2019s voice is heard,\u201d he vowed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic National Committee<\/a> Chair Ken Martin said that \u201cthe DNC<\/a> is proud to have stood with the state of Mississippi to defeat the RNC\u2019s latest attack on Americans\u2019 voting rights,\u201d and \u201cTrump and Republicans are attacking our elections and trying to rig the system in their favor because they know the American people are ready to reject their chaos and corruption<\/a> this November.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He, too, pledged that \u201cthe DNC will remain vigilant and use every tool at our disposal to protect every eligible voter\u2019s access to the ballot box.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Democratic Association of Secretaries of State Chair Cisco Aguilar said that \u201cmy attendance at the oral arguments for Watson v. RNC <\/em>in March was a demonstration of Nevada\u2019s commitment to protecting mail voting and ensuring that every eligible voter can cast a ballot in the way that works best for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDemocratic secretaries of state have repeatedly said that the Constitution is clear: States decide how their elections are run. Today\u2019s ruling shows they were right,\u201d Aguilar continued. \u201cThis ruling should also be a warning to the president that the letter of the law still holds weight with the Supreme Court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite this win, the right to vote remains more under threat this year than ever before,\u201d he added. \u201cDemocratic secretaries of state will continue to be on the frontlines of democracy, fighting to protect the rights of all Americans to legally cast their ballots and have confidence that their votes will be counted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Corbett<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessica Corbett is a senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Bio ><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Absentee ballots are prepared to be mailed at the Wake County Board of Elections on September 17, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. \u00a0(Photo by Allison Joyce\/Getty Images) \u201cAt a time when the Roberts Court has too often made it harder for Americans to exercise their rights, today\u2019s decision is an… Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2088,2007],"tags":[483],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48951"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48951"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48952,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48951\/revisions\/48952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/occupysf.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}